Hinge arrangement for folding screens



June 15 19u26.

H. B. CRANSHAW HI'NGE AERANetfmushw FOR FOLDING SCREENS Filed April 9;

.vul

vPatented June 15, 1926.

' i UNITED-sums PATENT oFFlcE.

'IiIfAROLD B. CRANSHAW, OF WEST NEWTO,` MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOCR, TO CUTTER vMANUFACTUItIll'G'r COMPANY, OF EVER/ETT, MASSACHUSETTS, A COEEORATION OF -MASSACI-IUSETTSl HINGE AEBANGEMENT Eon FOLDING SCREENS. f

Application flied Aprile, 1925. serial No. 21,836. i

This .invention relates to screens of a type comprising a plurality of sections hinged together to permit folding and more particu-V Ylarly to animproved hinge or pivot connection forthessections of such screens. Screens of the type mentioned are widely used as `lire screens. ventionrare :the provision of a Screen of the kind `mentioned :having improved connections between lindividual sections whereby the `sections maybe freely adjusted relative to veachother.butbe maintained always vertical, so that lboth .an improved appearance and a more rigidiscreen will result.

The .preferredembodiment of the .inven- .tioncomprises in general va plurality of substantially rectangular screen sections secured 4to each other by -pivotal connection -to pairs `of parallel rods which are rigidly mountedv at their opposite lends to maintain their axes in a common plane.

the accompanying drawings, in which ycertain `embodiments of the invention are shown for purposes of illustration,

Fig. 1 is a View of a lire screen in which the invention is embodied.; i

Fig. 2 is anenlarged fragmentary view with parts broken away .to .show details of construction F'g. 3 isa top plan view of the disclosure .of Fig. 2; f i F `'g. .4l is a bottom view thereof; and

Fig. 5 is a section on line 55 of Fig. 2. In the :i1lustrative, embodiment of the invention the individual screen ysections 10 are constructed lsimilarly to .those disclosed iu patent to H. B.. Cranshaw et al., No, 1,554,- 334, Sept. 22, 1925. The frames of these secvtions preferably consist of sections of rigid scope snugly over the'ends of hollow elbow n' sect-ions 12, to form a solidly reinforced framework as shown at lthe 4right-handA Side of Fig.V 2. The tubingll and the elbows 12 are provided with slots 13 to receive a cen` `Among the objects of the in-` tral screen ',14. The screen 14 as illustrated is formed of a network of wire, but any other suitable material might be used. The

slots 13' when the sections are assembled. The constituent parts ofthe frames of the individual screen sections may be permanent? ly held in assembled relation by brazing or otherwise, or reliance may be placed upon vthe means vwhich pivotally connects the rscreen sections to hold the parts of the 'individual sections together. Y Y

To unite they screen sections 10 to form a folding screen' the following construc'tigml of j oint'unit may ybe employed.' The horizontal portionsof the ell-bows 12 and the horizontal tubular sections 1`1are drilled to form alined holes 15 Vand 16 which arein jalinement with the vertical boresy of the elbow sections.

Through the holes land 16 and the vertical sections 11, cylindrical rods 17 extend,-

these rods being slightly :longer than the .ver-

lto the rods lock nuts 2O are arranged `on the threaded .upper ends of the rods and are screwed up hardv against the head member 19. The head members 19 may bedrilled yand tapped for the reception ofa threaded element 21 upon which a ball orother ornament 22 may be mounted. The lower ends of the rods 17 are secured in elongatedv foot members 23. Their rotation in these members may be prevented in any suitable manner, and as illustrated the lower ends of the rods are made square in cross section and enter ,square holes 24Lin the members 23.

In connecting together a pair of sections 10 two rods 17 are lirst fixed in an upper head member 19 and the rods are then passed edges of this screen are .preferably s'tifl'ened `by metal binding strips 15 which enter lthe lliv down through the openings 16, 15 and through the interior of the vertical sections 11 and outthrough corresponding openings y15, 16 at the bottom of the sections 10.

foot member A2371s then placed upon the projecting ends of the rods 17 and brought to a position where it rests closely against the bottoms of the sections 10 while the nuts 2U engage the tops of the latter. The projecting 'portions ofthe rods may then be headedl over to secure the parts in position, any exn cess of length being cut ofi'.

It will be observed that the rods 17, to gether with their associated parts, will operate to hold the members 11 and 12 in properly associated relation, without any brazing,'sweating, or soldering fof the parts together. 1t will also be noted that 'since the rods 1 7 arerigidly secured to the membersV 19 and 23 and cannot rotate relative.thereto,'the rods. 17 willalways remain withrtheir axes in a Vcommon plane. rlhis willi preventY the screen sectionsl assuming other than vertical positions and will not only result in a neater screen, but preclude any tendency for the screen to fall down or sag due to looseness at the joints.

I As shown at the left hand side of Fig. 2

and in Fig. 5, a tube25 may be provided betweeny the rod 17 and the wire mesh of the screen sections, in which case the wire 'mesh' may or may not be attached to the tube as by spot welding. The tube A25 preferably seats against the inner peripheriesjfof upper and lower lframe tubes 11 and Amay be brazed'thereto to add rigidity to the screen section. Y When using tubes 25 the elbows 12 may be omitted, likewise, the ver- ,tical binding strips 15; and the ends of the horizontal binding strips may either be Y Abrazed to the tubes 25 or merely abut the tubes. By providing tubes 25 the rods 17 may be more easily inserted without any `possibility whatsoever of catching on the wire mesh of the screen section.

I claim: j A 1.'A joint unit for folding sectional screens'comprising aV pair of rods, and means l connecting said rods at their opposite ends j whereby movement of one of said rods trans- Y mits movement to the other of said rods.

V2. AV joint unit I for folding sectional Y screens kcomprising a pair of rods adapted to constitute pivots for adjacent screen sec-- tions, and head and foot members receiving Vvsaidrods at their opposite extremities, said rods being nonrotatively mounted in said head and foot members.

. 3. A joint unit` for folding sectional screens comprising a pair of rods adapted to constitute pivots for adjacent screen sections, ahead member threadedly receiving one'extremity of each of said rods, lock nuts holding said rods against rotation relative to Vsaid head member, a foot member, and

to constitute pivots for adjacent screen secnon-rotative connections Vbetween the saine and the other ends of said rods.

4e. A joint unit for folding sectional screens comprising a pair of rods adapted tions, a head member threadedly receiving one extremity of each of said rods, locl: nuts Y holding said rods against rotation Awith reonal to fit said sockets and being headed over i to retain them in said sockets. j j

6. A joint unit `for folding sectional screens comprising 'a pair of rods adapted vto constitute pivots for adjacent screen sections, ahead member threadedly receiving one extremity of each of said rods, lock nuts holding said rods against rotation'with krespect to said head member, and a foot member havin# olvgonalsockets therein said s P i rods having their lower extremities vpolygonal to tit said sockets and being headed over Yto retain them in said sockets, said lock nuts and said foot members being spaced apart a distance substantially the same as the veri. tical edge dimension of the scr-een sections.

7. A folding screen comprising sections each having a Vframe of'tubular material comprisingY tubular elements telescoping with corner elbows, Vand means fo-r holding said frames together and pivotally connect` ing said sections including rods traversing certain of said elementsy and rigidly connected at their extremities.

8.*AV screen comprising hollow frame members having inside slotsv to receive the screen material, tubes disposed inside certain of said frame members, and rods, extending through said tubes. n

9. A screen comprising hollow frame members, tubesdisposed in certain ofsaid frame members, and screen material extending into the space between said `tubes and frame members.

10. A. screen comprising Vhollow frame members fittedv together at beveled joints, and a tube disposed in one of said frame members andhaving its opposite ends abutting against other of the frame members.

11. A screen comprising hollow frames having slotsto receive the screen material, tubular means within said frames for engaging the end of the screen'material, rods 'extending through said tubular meansand 130 closely surrounded thereby near each end of' extending through said tubular means and the screen, and means interconnecting the closely surroundeda thereby neareach end of ends of the rods. the screen, and means rigidly interconnect- 1 12. A screen comprising hollow frames ing the ends of the rods. 5 having slots to receive the screen material, Signed by me at Boston, Mass. this 81st tubular metal means Within said frames for da-y of March 1925.

securing the end of the scyeenmateriai, rods HARoLD'B. cRANsHAW, 

